Jo Ellen Cleary

Jo Ellen Cleary, of Tigard, Oregon, passed away peacefully on December 4, 2024, with her family at her side. She was born on November 23, 1947, in Portland, Oregon, and was raised in Los Angeles, California.

Jo Ellen had a deep attachment to Montana which began in her early childhood, when her family spent summers there, visiting friends and relatives. As a teenager, Jo Ellen worked on several cattle ranches in the Big Hole Valley and later studied at Western Montana State and Montana State University. While attending Western Montana, she was named first runner-up for Miss Montana.

After college, Jo Ellen began her career in banking, where she worked for the first decade of her professional life. During that time, she also became an accomplished llama rancher. She later transitioned into retail, spending the next decade working at Mervyn’s in Washington Square. She completed her career with over a decade in admissions at Portland Community College, where she found great fulfillment in helping students achieve their education goals.

Jo Ellen had a profound love for animals, especially her beloved cats, Marmie and Casper, her cherished black Labrador, T.J., and her llamas.

She loved spending time with her friends and neighbors in her Tigard community, regularly gathering to play cards and share laughter. Jo Ellen was also an avid reader, delighting in the stories and knowledge that books brought into her life.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Helen V. Cleary; her father, Dr. Joseph P. Cleary and her older sister, Jeanne C. Bernhard. She is survived by her brother, Joseph M. Cleary; her niece, Carole B. Lowman; her nephew, Patrick W. Bernhard, and her niece Katharine O. Cleary.

Jo Ellen was an enthusiastic supporter of charitable organizations that provide for the needy in the Tigard area. In her memory, donations may be made to Rise Church, Tigard, Oregon.

Details for the celebration of Jo Ellen’s life will be shared at a later date.